In a stunning sequence in their game's final 90 seconds, Hirsch completed an 8-point rally to defeat Sam's Bagels/Afek, while the Tzionim's "statement game" established them as a real contender, in the "Red and Dr. Murray's" Israel Basketball League.

Team Hirsch, trailing by 4, drained a 3-pointer with just a minute and a half remaining, then came up with a steal, and hit another 3-pointer to take the lead. Two clutch free throws accounted for the 41-37 final margin.

"With our offense's great spread, we thought were locks," said a rye Michael Shamsayev of Sam's, putting a good face on the Bagels offering. "We even led to the tuna' four points, but thanks to some great dishes they served us up on treys."

For Sam's Bagels, point guard Oliver Borr set the table for Shamsayev team-leading shooting, while Avidan Elgavi's unrelenting energy and Aytan Kamienny's monster block down the stretch led the defense.

In other action, it was a meeting of league powerhouses, as Tzionim combined outside marksmanship with great penetration to pull away from Lobos, 57-44. The win placed Tzionim at the top of the standings, tied with Frosted Flakes, who continued to impress with a 92-39 victory over Flint Tropics. Meanwhile, LeVian defeated Uncle Drew's 45-28.

The “Red and Dr. Murray's” Israel Basketball League tipped off this week, with a dozen teams looking to bring home the coveted Red Auerbach Championship Trophy.

On opening night, the veterans of Lobos took on newcomers Sam's Bagels/Apek. Lobos, whose quest for back-to-back titles was foiled in a thrilling championship game last season, began their campaign with a 42-25 victory. In a notably balanced attack, Nissi Merenstein, Yitz Spitz, Gav Valensky, and Meshulem Novacellar, tallied 10, 9, 8, and 7 points, respectively. Michael Shemsayov and Rabbi Yaacov Weisman led Sam's Bagels with 8 apiece.

In other opening week action, the Tzionim's Elisha Adelman and Chaim Friedman produced 16 points apiece, palindromically prevailing over Hirsch, 52-25. Meanwhile, Frosted Flakes defeated the Mevaseret Mavericks 65-34, in a game that made league observers stand up and take notice. The LA-based squad, whose iteration last season came within one shot of the finals, became an instant insider favorite, showcasing their athleticism throughout the encounter. Aryeh Eastman and N. M. Koolyk were the stars of the engagement.

Author

Monty Wayland is a journalist whose work is syndicated by the GAN News Network, and featured in media including The Jerusalem Post and Ha’aretz. His latest book, co-authored with Figmentov Uri Magination, is “Fourth-and-T’fachim: What the NFL and the Babylonian Talmud Teach Us About the Dynamic Tension Between Technocratic and Substantive Systems of Codification, and Life”.